Social Impact of Hitler’s Ruling (Censorship)

SOCIAL IMPACT

Censorship

• Goebbels was also expected to make sure that any information hostile to the Nazi Party was kept away from the German people.
• Goebbels set up the Reich Chamber of Commerce in 1933 to deal with literature, art, music, radio, film and newspapers.
• To produce anything within these categories, a person must be member of the Reich Chamber.
• This policy meant that the Nazis censored everything the Germans could read, watch or listen to
• Censorship was probably more important than use of propaganda in controlling the German people.
• Soon after the Nazis came to power, Goebbels organised a public book-burning event.
• The Nazis ransacked libraries and burnt any books that they found unacceptable.
• Goebbels also closely monitored the editors of newspapers to control the information they published
• Anti-Nazi newspapers were put out of business.

• Goebbels also set out to make radios affordable for all Germans.
• The Nazis controlled all radio stations so that the only opinions heard on-air were theirs.
• Broadcasts of Hitler’s speeches were repeated.
• Goebbels also arranged for loudspeakers to be put up in public places.
• Listening to any foreign station such as Britain’s BBC or even the Swiss Radio Beromuenster (in German) was punishable by death.
• As a result, there was a lack of freedom of expression and ideas among the Germans.
• Censorship also made enforcement of the Nazi’s doctrine on the German people and their control of public opinion easier.